Survey Items:Survey instrument item number for children 12-17 years: A3g
Variable name in public use data file: K7Q71_R

Denominator:Adolescents, ages 12 through 17

Numerator:Adolescents, ages 12 through 17, who are reported by a parent/guardian to bully others

Revisions and Changes:Response options changed from “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Usually, or Always True” to "Definitely True, Somewhat True, or Not True”. Reference to the “past month” was not included in the 2016 NSCH. For more information on content changes, click here .

Due to changes in the survey’s mode of data collection and sampling frame, as well as adjustments to item wording where necessary, MCHB alerts data users that it is not possible to compare estimates from the redesigned survey to those from previous iterations of the NSCH or NS-CSHCN or to conduct related trend analyses. The redesigned NSCH will support trend analyses beginning with data from 2016.

Additional Notes:This survey question asked, "How well does this phrase describe this child: ‘child bullies others, picks on them, or excludes them?’". The numerator for this measure is defined by combining "definitely true" or "somewhat true" responses.

Treatment of Unknown Values:Missing values due to non-response or a “don’t know” response are not included in the denominator when calculating prevalence estimates and weighted population counts displayed in the data query results table. In the majority of cases, the proportion of missing values is less than 2%. Exceptions are noted in the form of a Data Alert at the bottom of a results table. The exclusion of these values does not change the prevalence estimates (%) and only marginally affects the weighted population counts (Pop. Est.). If missing cases are handled in any other way, details can be found in the "Additional notes" section above.

History and Development:Overview of the Title V Block Grant: The Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant Program is a federal-state partnership in 59 states and jurisdictions to improve the health and well-being of MCH populations through the development of public health systems of care which are family-centered, community-based and culturally appropriate. To improve accountability and demonstrate the impact of the Title V Block Grant Program, significant revisions were implemented with the 2015 application and annual report guidance, which included changes to National Performance Measures (NPM) and National Outcome Measures (NOM). More information about the block grant can be obtained at the MCHB website. About NSCH: The Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funds and directs the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), and develops survey content in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau and a Technical Expert Panel. The Technical Expert Panel consists of experts in survey methodology and children’s health, federal and state stakeholders, clinicians and researchers. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts the survey, oversees the sampling, and produces a final data set of survey results. Respondents’ cognitive understanding of the survey questions was assessed during the pretest phase and revisions were made. Previously validated questions and scales are used when available.
Prior to 2016, the NSCH and the National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs were each conducted three times as interviewer-assisted telephone surveys using random digit dial sampling. In 2016, the two surveys were combined into a single self-administered questionnaire. Due to decline in the number of households with landline telephones, the NSCH now utilizes an address-based sampling method to select participating households, thus all invitations are sent by mail. Participants may choose to complete the survey either online using a secure website or a mailed paper version of the survey.
All final data components are verified by the Census Bureau, MCHB and DRC/CAHMI staff prior to public release. More information can be found in the “Review the Surveys” section of this website.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U59MC27866,National Maternal and Child Health Data Resource Initiative, $4.5M. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position of or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.